Method of holding socks in pairs for laundering



T. K. COOK March 19, 1957 METHOD OF HOLDING SOCKS IN PAIRS FORLAUNDERING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1953 FIG. I.

INVENTOR F/PP) KEELER 600K ATTORNEYS March 19, 1957 T. K. COOK 2,785,413

METHOD OF HOLDING SOCKS IN PAIRS FOR LAUNDERING Filed July 8, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3. FIG. 4.

W "INVENTOR T/PFY KEELEF COOK @k, Mm: mfief g v ATTORNEYS Unite r tMETHOD OF HOLDHWG SOCKS IN PAIRS FOR LAUNDERING The present inventionrelates to socks or stockings, and more particularly to'improvements inthe construction of socks which make possible the interengagement of thesocks off "a mating'pair, and which serve as built-in garters.

*It is among the objects of the present invention to pro vide in a sockmeans for attaching it to its mate so that they do not becomedisassoci'ated during washing, drying and subsequent storage. It is alsoan object of the invention to provide such means which are capable offunctioning as garters for supporting the socks on the wearers legs and,particularly in ankle-length socks or so-called anklets of the typewherein the upper portion of the end is folded down over the lowerportion, will facilitate proper folding of the cuff, and aid inmaintaining the properly folded relation of the cuff. A further objectis the provision of such means which are economical and which may beembodied in machine knitted socks at low cost. Other and further objectsof the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of an anklet sock embodying features of thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a side view, at slightly reduced scale, of a mating pair ofsocks of the type shown in Figure 1 connected together by a retainingstrip adapted to accommodate a number of pairs of such socks;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view illustrating an intermediate step inthe process of interconnecting a mating pair of such socks without theuse of a retaining strip;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the pair of socks whenthey have been fully interconnected;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of the upper end of an anklet sockof the foldable cufi type constituting an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective at slightly enlarged scale of the upper end ofa self-supporting sock of the straight, elastic cuff type constitutingstill another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

The sock shown in Figure 1 generally comprises a foot portion 10, a legportion 12 and an elongated cuff 14 which is adapted to be folded downapproximately along its horizontal center line as indicated in brokenlines at 14.

The sock is provided with a band 16, for example of braided elasticmaterial, which encircles the cuff 14 and is loosely secured thereto bya series of spaced loops 13 which extend over the band 16 and aresecured to the cuff 14 of the sock.

The loops 18 may be embroidered on the socks after knitting, or they maybe formed during knitting of the socks by the movement of selectedneedles and sinkers of the knitting machine in such a way as to causeone or more of the loops of yarn drawn thereby to enclose the band 16which is placed under tension upon the knitting cylinder either manuallyor by mechanical means.

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X 2,785,413 Patented Mar. 19,1957

The normal, unstretched circumference of the elastic band 16 is slightlyless than the normally extended circumference of the adjacent portion ofthe cuff 14, i. e., slightly less than the circumference of the portionof the leg around which the cuff is worn. Thus, when the sock is beingworn, the elastic band 16 will be stretched slightly and will press thecufi? of the sock snugly around the ankle or calf of the wearer. Theband 16 thus serves as a garter and maintains the upper end of the sockin proper position on the wearers leg.

Because the band 16 is located approximately at the horizontal centerline of the cuff 14 of the anklet sock folding of the cuff 14, asindicated at broken lines at 14',

and aids in maintaining the neat appearing properly folded relation ofthe cufli. The folded-down portion of thecuff .14 conceals the band 16.

In Figure 2, amating pair of socks of the type shown in Figure 1 areshown interconnected by means of a re taining strip 20. The retainingstrip 20 is formed of a length of flat, woven elastic material which isprovided with a plurality of interengageable fastener elements 22,suitably of the well-known snap type, and are spaced apart slightly sothat when united they form in the retaining strip 20 a plurality ofretaining loops 24. Each of these retaining loops is adapted to encirclethe bands 16 of a mating pair of socks and keep the socks togetherduring washing, drying, and subsequent stowage.

The particular retaining strip illustrated in Figure 2 is also providedat one end with a loop 26 which slidably encloses a larger loop 28 whichis provided with snap fasteners 22 so that the loop 28 may be securedaround a supporting member, for example to hang the socks for drying.

Figure 3 and 4 illustrate a method of interconnecting the bands 16 of amating pair of socks without the use of a separate retaining strip. InFigure 3 the socks are shown after the band 16 of the right-hand sockhas been passed through the band 16 of the mating sock and then the footportion 19 of the right-hand sock has been inserted into and partiallythrough its loop 16. Then, by pulling the right-hand sock all the waythrough its loop 16, the two loops are tied together by a girth hitch asshown in Figure 4. The bands may be untied by merely reversing thisprocess.

Figure 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention whereinthe elastic band 16 is secured to the cuff 30 of the sock by passingthrough several pairs of small, closely spaced openings 39a in the cuff30, the edges of which are embroidered with a button-hole stitch toreinforce the fabric of the cuff and prevent its unraveling or running.The cuff 30 may be folded down around the band 16, as in the embodimentpreviously described, to conceal the band.

Figure 6 illustrates the upper end of an anklet sock of theself-supporting type having a straight cuff 32 containing elastic yarn.A short band 34 of braided elastic material is attached to the inneredge of the cuff 32 by sewing its opposite ends thereto as indicated at36.

The bands 34 of a mating pair of such socks may be secured together bymeans of a retaining strip, as illustrated in Figure 2, or by tying themtogether in the manner indicated in Figures 3 and 4. Because the band 34is on the inside of the straight end 32, it is concealed when the sockis Worn. The elastic nature of the band 34 permits it to expand with thecuff 32 when the socks are placed on the wearers leg, and the bandreinforces the cuff and augments its elasticity.

While the bands 16 and 34 have been described as elastic, it will beunderstood that they may be made of thread or other non-elastic materialif their function as a garter may be dispensed with.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that there have beenprovided means for attaching the socks of mating pairs together duringWashing, etc., and which additionally are capable of functioning asgarters. It will therefore be ppreciated that the aforementioned andother desirable objects have been achieved. However, it must beemphasized that the several embodiments of the invention shown anddescribed herein are intended as merely illustrative and not asrestrictive of the invention.

1 claim:

A method for holding a plurality of socks in pairs in spaced apartrelation for laundering comprising the steps of taking a single stripcarrying a plurality of pairs of mating snap fasteners, each pair offasteners being spaced a short distance along said strip from anadjacent pair of fasteners, the two fasteners in each pair beingrelatively closely spaced and adapted to engage and to hold the portionof said strip between them in a small loop, said loops formed by saidpairs of fasteners being short enough to encircle and to unfailinglyholdportions of said socks, grouping a plurality of socks together in reatspective pairs in each of the loops formed in said strip, and thenwashing them while so held, whereby said socks can be retained in pairswithout slipping free during washing but can easily be disengaged fromsaid loops by pulling apart the two ends of said strip with sufficientforce to disengage each of said pairs of fasteners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS615,271 Hayden et a1. Dec. 6, 1898 644,973 Friedlander Mar. 6, 19001,353,592 Howard ee l e Sept. 21, 1920 1,513,520 Pruzan Oct.'28, 19242,022,444 Van Voorhi's Nov. 26, 1935 2,053,820 Fleischer Sept. 8, 19362,638,602 Binkowitz May 19, 1953 2,663,877 Bohman Dec. 29, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 635,797 France Jan. 3, 192a

